THE establishment of myrtle rust in Tasmania would pose a threat to Tasmania's plant exports, according to Nursery and Garden Industry Tasmania's biosecurity spokesperson Karen Brock. Ms Brock said there was concern that states free of the disease, such as South Australia and Western Australia, would not import Tasmanian Myrtaceae plants if myrtle rust was to establish. The establishment of the disease would likely also prompt the relaxation of strict laws that had seen the import of Myrtaceae plants from New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria banned. Ms Brock said a number of commercial nurseries were concerned buyers would shun Tasmanian Myrtaceae for cheaper interstate plants if the ban ended. "A number of nurseries have concerns, but we think it's a good and bad thing to potentially have increased competition in the state again," she said. Biosecurity Tasmania Chief Plant Health manager Andrew Bishop conceded the establishment of the disease could harm Myrtaceae exports. "It could stop Tasmania exporting to states like Western Australia with similarly strict guidelines," he said. Ms Brock said the spread of the disease could see commercial nurseries be forced to destroy some stock, but said it had not had a major impact on the industry. The disease has been detected in two commercial nurseries on the North-West Coast. Ms Brock said all Tasmanian nurseries had temporarily removed Lophomyrtus plants from stock while Biosecurity Tasmania continued the surveying process. "It's having a positive impact in that people are becoming aware of biosecurity risks, especially after the spread of blueberry rust through the state," she said. "It's opened up awareness among nurseries, but also helped gardeners and the public understand that what they do has an impact as well." Cloverlea Nursery owner Craig How said the business had been spraying its Myrtaceae plants with fungicides on a weekly basis to protect the plants. He said the disease was not currently having a big impact on the nursery, but hoped it could be eradicated before infected plants started to spore. "We've certainly got a benefit here with our colder climate, and everyone is just hoping we can eradicate it soon," he said.